India will play its first Test against Australia in Perth, which will be the first competitive match of the tour. This follows after the Board of Control for Cricket in India cancelled a scheduled three-day intra-squad game at the WACA. Originally, India's tour was to begin with a three-day warm-up match against India A from November 15 to 17 but plans have been changed around. Instead of playing, the team will now take those three days to do some training at the WACA, which will involve net sessions and match simulation. Australia is likely to train at the same place after India's training so that the players who have not played much lately would get acclimatized. While speaking about the preparations for the Test series with centre wicket at WACA, Steven Smith said: "Going to be some good centre wickets with our boys bowling in Perth, in similar conditions to what you're going to get at Optus Stadium. [It's] probably going to be enough." Also Read | Did Rohit Inspire Kohli’s RCB Captaincy Return for IPL 2025? Kaif Explains Change in Warm-Up Strategy India had planned to start with an intra-squad game as the build-up to the November 22-starting first Test and not play an Australian domestic team. That is a switch from their past tours to Australia, where they opened the red-ball series playing a three-day match against Australia A on the 2020-21 tour, and played a four-day game against a Cricket Australia XI before the 2018-19 series. As the match was supposed to be played behind closed doors with India's management, many were hoping that it will be open for the public, just like the two matches India will played ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup against WA XI. Those two matches attracted nearly 2,500 fans who had to pay an entry fee of AU$5 for the WA Cricket Foundation. India's team will leave for Australia right after the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, which ends on November 5. Ruturaj Gaikwad was going to captain India A, which was scheduled to play India's Test team after the four-day matches against Australia A in Mackay and at the MCG. India A's 15-strong squad staggered into Brisbane on 25 and 26 October, with the flight of several players going off course following the illness of a passenger.